Fracture strength of teeth restored with fiber post and apical plug

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the fracture strength of immature single-rooted teeth restored with fiber post and apical plug. Materials &Methods: In this experimental study, fifty mandibular premolars were divided into five groups. The coronal and apical portions were cut to obtain15±1 mm root lengths and cleaning &shaping were performed. Peeso reamer #4 was passed the apex by 1 mm to simulate an immature tooth and the apical portion in group 1 to 5 was filled by lateral compaction of 5 mm of gutta-percha; 5 mm of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA); 5mm of calcium enriched mixture (CEM) cement; 3 mm of MTA and 2 mm of gutta-percha by vertical condensation and 3 mm of CEM cement and 2 mm of gutta-percha, respectively. The remaining portion was restored with glass fiber post and self-etch cement and composite cores were built. Compressive load was applied at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/minute at 90 ° angle until fracture in a universal testing machine. Data were analyzed using ANOVA in SPSS16. Results: The mean±SD fracture strength was recorded 607.8±162.41 N, 700.48±183.24 N, 595.16±171.77 N, 886.36±382.92N, and 868.87±440.36 N in groups one to five, respectively.  No significant difference was observed among the experimental groups (p=0.1). Conclusion: In immature teeth requiring an apical plug, fiber post can be placed directly on the MTA and CEM apical plugs and there is no need for placing gutta-percha on the plug.